Never too Early to Start Planning for Halloween

For fans of ghoulish delights and all things that go bump in the night, no time of year generates more excitement than Halloween. While you might only get to dress up one or two days this year, you can decorate the home in many wickedly wonderful ways throughout the entire month of October.

Halloween decorations are a great way to get into the spirit of the season, while also letting potential trick-or-treaters know that your house welcomes all little gremlins and bite sized Batmans. With that in mind, here are a few decorating ideas that will make your home a little more spooktacular this All Hallows’ Eve.

Welcome Web

Ensnare all who dare knock on your door with a spiderweb doormat. To create this crafty doormat, cut a 3×4 ft. lightweight black mat into a circle with a 36-inch diameter using a pair of cutting shears. Outline a spiderweb design on the mat using a piece of white chalk. Once you’ve completed the outline, cut a white clothesline into smaller pieces that match your design. To prevent each piece from fraying, try singeing the ends. Now glue the pieces into place using a heavy duty adhesive, and you have finished spinning your own web.

Ghostly Lights

The safety of neighborhood trick-or-treaters should be priority number one during Halloween. However, turning on the porch light so everyone can see their way around can really ruin the creepy atmosphere your trying to create. So instead, light up your porch with decorated white paper lanterns. Just purchase a half dozen white paper lunch bags and apply a number of scary stickers that feature spiders, witches, ghouls, or simple lettering that reads “watch out,” “beware,” or “turn back now.” Fill each bag with enough sand to weigh it down and place a small candle in the center. Once the sun goes down, light each bag and let all who enter be forewarned.

Creepy Cauldron

Double double toil and trouble, few images are as iconic of Halloween as a boiling cauldron, and you don’t need to invite a witch over to have one frothing with magic on Halloween. Purchase one or two plastic cauldrons and a few ingredients, such as eyeballs, rats, spiders, and batwings, from the local costume shop. Next, head to the hardware store and pickup some spray-foam insulation. Fill the cauldron with the spray foam, and let it dry. Use spray paint to give the dried foam a yellow or green hue, and then place a few of your creepy crawly ingredients on top.

A Staring Reception

Welcome all who walk up to your door with a several spooky eyes that appear out of nowhere. To give guests the impression they’re being watched, purchase several sets of plastic-foam balls from the local crafts store. Color the center of each ball in with a black marker, and attach the eyes together using a toothpick. Now stash your ghostly peepers into nearby shrubs, plants holders, patio furniture, windowsills, or anywhere else that’s dark. In dim lighting at night, your eyes should really begin to pop, and let everyone know who knocks on your door they are not alone.

Digging Deep

The simple but effective decorating touches that add a little extra detail to your haunted home can go a long way towards making your house the spookiest on the block. Drag your wheelbarrow out of the garage and fill it with planting soil. Stick a few plastic bones into the soil, and lean a shovel nearby. This simple decoration not only creates a nice touch, but it also lets neighborhood kids know what happens to those who don’t say thank you after receiving their candy.

Timothy Lemke is a freelance writer. To read more of his work, visit the website of Dr. Russell Teasdale, a braces Invisalign Portland, OR Elite Preferred Provider.